Safety locking mechanism for elevators.



J. KNEZIK.

SAFETY LOCKING MECHANISM FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19. 1914.

1 204362. Patented Nov, 7, 1916.

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A TTUff/VEVS I APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19, 1914.

Patented Nov, 1916,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 onion JOSEPH KNEZIK, 0F MADISON, ILLINOIS.

SAFETY LOCKING MECHANISM! FOR ELEVATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. "Z, 1916.

Application filed September 19, 1914. Serial No. 862,499.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH KNnzIK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Madison, in the county of Madison and State of Illinois, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Lockin Mechanism for Elevators, of which the fo lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a safety locking mechanism for elevators.

The object of thepresent invention is to provide novel means for gripping the opposite sides of the vertical guides should the hoisting cable give away.

A further object is to accomplish the aforementioned end in a simple and novel way in which the structural features involved will be of simple design and at the same time admirably adapted for the pun poses in hand.

A further object is to provide an elevator car with gripping means extending from the sides thereof adapted to engage and rigidly grip the opposite sides of the vertical guides between which the elevator car moves.

The gripping means are adapted to engage the vertical guides at points adjacent the upper and lower extremities of the car and exert a compressive stress thereon rather than tending to wedge the same apart and thus securely lock the car against movement by engagement with either one or both of the vertical guides, thus should the gripping means engage only one of the vertical guides the car will be none the less securely locked as though both the vertical guides were engaged.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combinations and arrangements of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings accompanying this specification and forming a part thereof the preferable form of my invention is illustrated in which Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of an elevator car equipped with my improved safety locking mechanism, Fig. 2 is a view ,Fig. 5 is a fragmental view in section taken along the line 55 of Fig. 3, Fig. 6 is a deta1l view in perspective of one of the gripping arms by means of which the elevator car is securely locked in position immediately upon the releasement or giving way of the elevating cables.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, an elevator car C is slidably mounted between the vertical guides or runways 8 and includes the top 8, bottom 9, and sides 10. The elevator car as thus constructed is of the usual form such as is utilized for freight purposes although it is to be understood that the safety locking mechanism may be utilized with equally eihcient results upon passenger carrying cars.

Extending along the sides of the car are the outwardly facing guides 11 which include the angularly disposed faces 12 through which the holding bolts 13 extend thus rig- .idly securing the guides to the sides of the car. The outstanding portions 12 of the guides are provided with the turned ends 14 providing the smooth travel of the car upon the vertical guides 8. The top or roof 8 of the car is provided with the aperture 15 which in connection with the reinforcing bushing 16 slidably receives the suspension bar or rod 17 therethrough and limits the same to a reciprocatory motion. The bar is provided with the upper cable engaging end 18 to which the hoisting element or cable 19 is secured, the latter generally illus trating means for raising and lowering the car, the specific details of which, however, may be varied according to the class of service to which the elevator is to be put.

A beam 20 projects between and is securely fastened to the sides of the car adjacent the top and is, as illustrated in Fig. 4, formed of the two sections 21 which diverge at their central portions, as at 22 and therefore define an open ended receptacle through which the suspension bar 17 extends. A casing 23 is mounted below the beam and secured thereto, the same being effected by the bars 24- which are secured to the upper extremity of the casing 23 and project upwardly therefrom to form the arms 25. Suitable bolts 26 extend through the beam and arms and hold the same in rigid relation. The casing as per Fig. 3 is provided with the aperture 27 extending through its top through which the lower extremities of the suspension bar extend. The lower extremity of the suspension bar is threaded as at 28 and to which the stop block 29 is rigidly secured. A compression spring 30 is interposed between the stop block 29 and the upper end of the casing. The coiled tension spring 30 is rigidly secured, at its lower extremity to the upstanding apertured bracket 31 and at its upper extremity to the apertured block 32 the latter being rigidly secured to the suspension bar. Thus should the cable become detached or give way and the weight removed from the suspension bar the same will be instantly retracted or drawn downward by the said spring, and by the compression spring 30 which coacts therewith.

The upper extremity of the suspension bar is threaded as at 33 to which the locking nuts 34 are secured the same clamping the cross-head 35 therebetween and rigidly as well as adjustably securing it to the suspension bar. The outer extremities of the crosshead are provided with the eyes 3'5 through which the pins 37 extend and by means of which the links 38 are pivotally secured to the cross head. A pair of centrally arranged transversely extending shafts 39 project between and are journaled in the sides 10 of the car and are adapted to be partially rotated by the crank arms 40 which are pivotally secured to the lower extremities of the links. Rigidly secured to the outer extremities of these transverse shafts are the gripping arms 41 the same being provided with the serrated gripping surfaces as and as illustrated in Fig. 1 converge in a clownward direction so as to engage the'opposite faces of the vertical guides and be forced into wedged engagement therewith by the weight of the car. The retraction of the suspension bar by the spring 30 will thus result in the instantaneous application of the rocking or. gripping arms and thus lock the car against movement in a downward direction. The cross head 35 being located above the car roof 8 and the crank arm 40 there- 'below the roof is' provided with the aperpairs and upon opposite sides of the guides are adapted to wedgedly engage the same and apply only a local stress thereto. Also mention is made of the fact that should for any reason one of the vertical guides give way the hold obtained upon the other of the vertical guides will be suflicient to rigidly secure the car in position. The lower extremities of the guiding flanges 11 with which the sides of the car are provided are formed with the slots 51 therein, thus exposing the faces of the vertical guides to the gripping-action of the arms 44.

I claim:

'1. An apparatus of the class described comprising an elevator car, vertical guides therefor, a beam arranged between the sides 7 of the caradjacent the top thereof, a receptacle formed by the beam, alcasing arranged below the receptacle and secured to the beam and having an upper wall pro vided with an opening, a suspension bar slidably extending through the roof of the car and through the receptacle and into the casing, hoisting means connected with the suspension bar, a compression spring associated with the suspension bar within the casing and hearing at one end against the upper wall of the latter, a bracket rigidly supported adjacent the lower end of the receptacle, a block rigidly carried by the suspension bar above the bracket, a tension spring disposed within the receptacle and arranged between and connected tothe bracket and block, a cross head adjustably carriedlby the suspension bar, and a plu rality of gripping arms pivotally secured to the sides of the car and linkedly connected to the cross head and adapted to be rocked thereby into engagement with the said vertical' guides, said gripping arms being arranged in pairs and bracing the vertical guides therebetween and adapted to engage the same at opposite sides. V

2. A device of the class described including an elevator car and guides relatively to which the car moves, a beam mounted on the car and providing a receptacle, a. casing secured to the beam in axial alinement with the receptacle, a suspension bar slid'ably extending through the receptacle and casing, a compression spring associated with the suspension bar within bar, and gripping means carried by the car the casing connected-at one end with the for engagement With the guides and actubar and at its other end bearing against ated by the suspension bar. one end of the casing, a bracket carried by JOE KNEZIK.

the receptacle, a tension spring arranged \Vitnesses: 111 the receptacle connected at one end With CHAS. A. BRAMMELL, the bracket and at its other end W1th the JOHN G. RYOKMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

